Observer Consensus: From Local to Global
“Multiple local observers reach consensus through causal structure, emerging global spacetime.”
🎯 Core of This Article
In previous articles, we understood causal structure from geometric perspective. Now we answer a profound question:
Is spacetime objective or subjective?
Answer is neither purely objective nor purely subjective, but:
Core Idea:
- Each observer can only access local causal horizon
- Different observers exchange information through communication
- Observers reach agreement through three-level consensus mechanism
- Consensus convergence forms global spacetime structure
This is from local to global paradigm!
👥 Analogy: Blind Men and Elephant
Modern version of classic story “Blind Men and Elephant”:
graph TB
subgraph "Four Blind Men"
O1["Blind Man 1<br/>Touches Leg"]
O2["Blind Man 2<br/>Touches Trunk"]
O3["Blind Man 3<br/>Touches Tail"]
O4["Blind Man 4<br/>Touches Ear"]
end
subgraph "Local Cognition"
O1 -->|"Thinks"| P1["Pillar"]
O2 -->|"Thinks"| P2["Pipe"]
O3 -->|"Thinks"| P3["Rope"]
O4 -->|"Thinks"| P4["Fan"]
end
subgraph "Communication and Consensus"
P1 -.->|"Exchange"| COM["Common Discussion"]
P2 -.->|"Exchange"| COM
P3 -.->|"Exchange"| COM
P4 -.->|"Exchange"| COM
COM -->|"Consensus"| ELEPHANT["Elephant"]
end
style O1 fill:#e1f5ff
style O2 fill:#fff4e1
style O3 fill:#ffe1e1
style O4 fill:#e1ffe1
style ELEPHANT fill:#f0f0f0,stroke:#ff6b6b,stroke-width:3px
Analogy to GLS Theory:
- Blind Men: Local observers (can only see events within causal horizon)
- Elephant Parts: Local causal diamonds
- Exchange: Communication through light signals
- Consensus: Čech consistency + state convergence + model unification
- Complete Elephant: Global spacetime manifold
Key Insight:
- No “God’s eye view” directly seeing complete spacetime
- Global spacetime emerges from consensus of local observers
- This is observer version of emergent gravity
📐 Formal Definition of Observer
Observer Nine-Tuple
In GLS theory, an observer is formalized as nine-tuple:
Let’s explain one by one:
1. Causal Horizon
Spacetime region that observer can access, usually their past light cone:
Physical Meaning: Observer can only know events in their past light cone.
2. Local Partial Order
Causal relation defined by observer in their horizon (satisfies reflexivity, transitivity, antisymmetry).
Recall: Local partial order gluing discussed in Article 3.
3. Event Partition
Observer’s resolution or coarse-graining of events.
Examples:
- Classical observer: might be macroscopic events (“see light”)
- Quantum observer: might be set of measurement projection operators
Mathematical Structure: is a σ-algebra (measure theory) or lattice (lattice theory) on .
4. Observable Algebra
Operator algebra formed by physical quantities observer can measure.
Quantum Field Theory: is von Neumann algebra, generated by local field operators:
(Double prime means “double commutant”, generating von Neumann algebra)
5. Quantum State
Observer’s knowledge state of system, represented as state on observable algebra:
Satisfying:
- Linearity:
- Positivity:
- Normalization:
6. Physical Model
Observer’s prior assumptions about physical laws, including:
- Hamiltonian (or action)
- Field equations
- Symmetries
Bayesian Perspective: is observer’s “theory space”.
7. Utility Function
Observer’s objective function or preference.
Examples:
- Maximize information acquisition: (entropy maximization)
- Minimize energy:
- Maximize accuracy: (minimize relative entropy)
Decision Theory: Observer chooses measurement strategy according to .
8. Four-Velocity
Observer’s motion state (timelike unit vector):
Physical Meaning: Defines observer’s “time direction” and reference frame.
9. Communication Graph
Communication channels between observers:
Including:
- Communication delay (light speed limit)
- Communication bandwidth
- Communication reliability (noise)
graph TB
subgraph "Observer Nine-Tuple"
CI["Step 1: Causal Horizon C_i"]
PREC["Step 2: Local Partial Order ≺_i"]
LAMBDA["Step 3: Event Partition Λ_i"]
ALG["Step 4: Observable Algebra 𝒜_i"]
STATE["Step 5: Quantum State ω_i"]
MODEL["Step 6: Physical Model ℳ_i"]
UTIL["Step 7: Utility Function U_i"]
VEL["Step 8: Four-Velocity u_i"]
COM["Step 9: Communication Graph {𝒞_ij}"]
end
CI --> GEO["Geometric Information"]
PREC --> GEO
LAMBDA --> GEO
ALG --> QM["Quantum Information"]
STATE --> QM
MODEL --> QM
UTIL --> DEC["Decision Information"]
VEL --> DEC
COM --> NET["Network Information"]
style CI fill:#e1f5ff
style STATE fill:#fff4e1
style MODEL fill:#ffe1e1
style COM fill:#e1ffe1
🔗 Three-Level Consensus Mechanism
Observers reach agreement through three levels of consensus:
Level 1: Causal Consensus
Goal: Different observers agree on causal relations.
Mechanism: Čech consistency condition (detailed in Article 3)
Convergence Criterion:
- All observers agree on causal order in overlapping regions
- Local partial orders can be glued into global partial order
graph LR
O1["Observer O₁<br/>Partial Order ≺₁"] -->|"Overlapping Region"| OVERLAP["C₁ ∩ C₂"]
O2["Observer O₂<br/>Partial Order ≺₂"] -->|"Overlapping Region"| OVERLAP
OVERLAP -->|"Čech Consistency"| CHECK["≺₁ = ≺₂ ?"]
CHECK -->|"Yes"| CONSENSUS["Causal Consensus Reached"]
CHECK -->|"No"| UPDATE["Update Partial Order"]
UPDATE --> O1
UPDATE --> O2
style O1 fill:#e1f5ff
style O2 fill:#fff4e1
style CONSENSUS fill:#e1ffe1
Level 2: State Consensus
Goal: Quantum states of different observers converge in common region.
Mechanism: Relative entropy Lyapunov function
Define consensus state (on common observable algebra ).
Lyapunov Function:
where:
- : Relative entropy
- : Weights ()
Convergence Theorem:
Under reasonable assumptions (communication, measurement, update), monotonically decreases:
Finally:
Physical Meaning:
- Relative entropy measures “difference” between states
- Lyapunov function decreasing → observers’ cognition converges
- Finally reach consensus state
graph TB
subgraph "Initial State (t=0)"
W1["ω₁⁽⁰⁾"] -.->|"Large Difference"| W2["ω₂⁽⁰⁾"]
W2 -.->|"Large Difference"| W3["ω₃⁽⁰⁾"]
end
subgraph "Evolution (t > 0)"
W1 -->|"Communication+Update"| W1T["ω₁⁽ᵗ⁾"]
W2 -->|"Communication+Update"| W2T["ω₂⁽ᵗ⁾"]
W3 -->|"Communication+Update"| W3T["ω₃⁽ᵗ⁾"]
end
subgraph "Consensus (t→∞)"
W1T -->|"Converge"| WSTAR["ω* (Consensus State)"]
W2T -->|"Converge"| WSTAR
W3T -->|"Converge"| WSTAR
end
LYAP["Lyapunov Function<br/>Φ⁽ᵗ⁾ Monotonically Decreasing"] -.-> W1T
LYAP -.-> W2T
LYAP -.-> W3T
style WSTAR fill:#e1ffe1,stroke:#ff6b6b,stroke-width:3px
style LYAP fill:#fff4e1
Level 3: Model Consensus
Goal: Physical models (theories) of different observers converge.
Mechanism: Bayesian update + large deviation theory
Each observer maintains a model distribution (on model space ).
Bayesian Update:
where is likelihood function.
Convergence Criterion (Donsker-Varadhan large deviation principle):
where is consensus model distribution, determined by true statistics of data.
Physical Meaning:
- Observers update theory through experimental data
- Different observers eventually converge to same theory
- This is mathematicalization of scientific consensus formation
graph LR
DATA["Observation Data"] -->|"Bayesian Update"| P1["Observer 1's Model Distribution<br/>ℙ₁⁽ᵗ⁾"]
DATA -->|"Bayesian Update"| P2["Observer 2's Model Distribution<br/>ℙ₂⁽ᵗ⁾"]
DATA -->|"Bayesian Update"| P3["Observer 3's Model Distribution<br/>ℙ₃⁽ᵗ⁾"]
P1 -->|"KL Divergence Decreasing"| PSTAR["Consensus Model Distribution<br/>ℙ*"]
P2 -->|"KL Divergence Decreasing"| PSTAR
P3 -->|"KL Divergence Decreasing"| PSTAR
PSTAR -.->|"Corresponds to"| THEORY["Optimal Physical Theory"]
style DATA fill:#e1f5ff
style PSTAR fill:#e1ffe1,stroke:#ff6b6b,stroke-width:3px
style THEORY fill:#fff4e1
🌐 Communication Graph and Information Propagation
Communication Graph Structure
Communication of observer network is described by graph :
- Vertices : Observers
- Edges : Communication channels
Adjacency Matrix :
Physical Constraints:
- Causality: Only when ,
- Symmetry (optional): (bidirectional communication)
- Light Speed Limit: Communication delay light propagation time
graph TB
subgraph "Observer Network"
O1["O₁"] ---|"w₁₂"| O2["O₂"]
O2 ---|"w₂₃"| O3["O₃"]
O3 ---|"w₃₄"| O4["O₄"]
O1 ---|"w₁₄"| O4
O2 ---|"w₂₄"| O4
end
subgraph "Communication Matrix W"
W["[w_ij]<br/>Weight Matrix"]
end
O1 -.-> W
O2 -.-> W
O3 -.-> W
O4 -.-> W
style O1 fill:#e1f5ff
style O2 fill:#fff4e1
style O3 fill:#ffe1e1
style O4 fill:#e1ffe1
Consensus Algorithm
Discrete Time Update (e.g., linear consensus algorithm):
where:
- : Learning rate
- : Information weight from observer (normalized: )
Convergence Condition (graph theory):
- Graph is connected (any two observers can be connected by path)
- Weight matrix is doubly stochastic (row and column sums are 1)
Convergence Rate: Controlled by second largest eigenvalue of :
(, smaller means faster convergence)
📊 Emergence from Local to Global
Construction of Global Spacetime
Step 1: Local observers define local causal diamonds
Each observer defines causal diamond family in their horizon .
Step 2: Causal consensus forms global partial order
Through Čech consistency, local partial orders glue into global partial order .
Step 3: State consensus determines global state
Through relative entropy convergence, local states converge to consensus state .
Step 4: Model consensus determines physical laws
Through Bayesian update, local models converge to consensus theory.
Step 5: Emergence of Metric
From consensus partial order and consensus state , can reconstruct spacetime metric :
Specific construction:
- Partial order → light cone structure → conformal class
- State → energy-momentum tensor (through modular Hamiltonian)
- Einstein equation → complete metric
graph TB
subgraph "Local Observers"
O1["O₁: (C₁, ≺₁, ω₁)"]
O2["O₂: (C₂, ≺₂, ω₂)"]
O3["O₃: (C₃, ≺₃, ω₃)"]
end
subgraph "Consensus Layer"
CAUSAL["Causal Consensus<br/>≺"]
STATE["State Consensus<br/>ω*"]
MODEL["Model Consensus<br/>ℳ*"]
end
subgraph "Global Spacetime"
METRIC["Metric g_μν"]
SPACETIME["Spacetime (M, g)"]
end
O1 -->|"Čech"| CAUSAL
O2 -->|"Čech"| CAUSAL
O3 -->|"Čech"| CAUSAL
O1 -->|"Relative Entropy"| STATE
O2 -->|"Relative Entropy"| STATE
O3 -->|"Relative Entropy"| STATE
O1 -->|"Bayesian"| MODEL
O2 -->|"Bayesian"| MODEL
O3 -->|"Bayesian"| MODEL
CAUSAL -->|"Light Cone"| METRIC
STATE -->|"T_μν"| METRIC
MODEL -->|"Einstein Equation"| METRIC
METRIC --> SPACETIME
style O1 fill:#e1f5ff
style O2 fill:#fff4e1
style O3 fill:#ffe1e1
style SPACETIME fill:#e1ffe1,stroke:#ff6b6b,stroke-width:4px
Observer Interpretation of Emergent Gravity
Traditional View: Spacetime metric is fundamental, observers move in it.
GLS View: Spacetime metric emerges from observer consensus:
Analogy:
- Temperature (macroscopic) ← Molecular Motion (microscopic)
- Spacetime Metric (macroscopic) ← Observer Consensus (microscopic)
This is concrete realization of emergent gravity!
🔍 Example: GPS Satellite Network
Scenario
Around Earth there are GPS satellites, each is an observer:
Local Horizon
Each satellite can only see:
- Its own past light cone
- Signals received from other satellites
Communication Graph
Causal Consensus
Satellites confirm event order through signal exchange:
- Did event A occur before event B?
- Need to correct relativistic effects (gravitational time dilation, motion time dilation)
State Consensus
Satellites synchronize time:
- Each satellite has atomic clock (local time )
- Synchronize to GPS time through consensus algorithm
Lyapunov Function:
Decreasing to zero → time synchronization complete!
Model Consensus
All satellites use same theory:
- General relativity
- Schwarzschild metric (Earth’s gravitational field)
If some satellite’s model is wrong (e.g., forgets general relativistic correction), its predictions will systematically deviate, eventually “corrected” by other satellites (through Bayesian update).
GPS is daily realization of GLS theory!
graph TB
subgraph "GPS Satellite Network"
SAT1["Satellite 1<br/>Atomic Clock t₁"]
SAT2["Satellite 2<br/>Atomic Clock t₂"]
SAT3["Satellite 3<br/>Atomic Clock t₃"]
SAT4["Satellite 4<br/>Atomic Clock t₄"]
end
subgraph "Consensus Mechanism"
SYNC["Time Synchronization<br/>t_GPS"]
GR["General Relativistic Correction"]
end
SAT1 -.->|"Communication"| SYNC
SAT2 -.->|"Communication"| SYNC
SAT3 -.->|"Communication"| SYNC
SAT4 -.->|"Communication"| SYNC
SYNC -->|"Correction"| GR
GR -.->|"Feedback"| SAT1
GR -.->|"Feedback"| SAT2
GR -.->|"Feedback"| SAT3
GR -.->|"Feedback"| SAT4
style SAT1 fill:#e1f5ff
style SAT2 fill:#fff4e1
style SAT3 fill:#ffe1e1
style SAT4 fill:#e1ffe1
style SYNC fill:#f0f0f0,stroke:#ff6b6b,stroke-width:3px
💡 Key Points Summary
1. Observer Nine-Tuple
Contains causal, quantum, model, decision, motion, communication information.
2. Three-Level Consensus
- Causal Consensus: Čech consistency, in overlapping regions
- State Consensus: Relative entropy Lyapunov function,
- Model Consensus: Bayesian update,
3. Relative Entropy Lyapunov Function
Ensures consensus convergence.
4. Communication Graph
Weight matrix , connectivity ensures consensus.
5. Emergent Spacetime
Global spacetime emerges from consensus of local observers.
🤔 Thought Questions
Question 1: What If Observers Cannot Communicate ( for all )?
Hint: Consider graph connectivity.
Answer: Cannot reach consensus! Each observer has their own “subjective spacetime”, cannot form unified global geometry. This is similar to multiple causally isolated universe islands. Physically, this corresponds to regions beyond cosmological horizon: cannot communicate, therefore cannot verify causal consistency.
Question 2: How Should Weights of Lyapunov Function Be Chosen?
Hint: Consider observer’s “credibility” or “measurement precision”.
Answer: should reflect observer’s information quality. For example:
- Observers with high measurement precision → larger
- Observers with more observation data → larger
- Can dynamically adjust:
This is similar to weighted average, more reliable observers have greater influence.
Question 3: What If Some Observer Is “Malicious” (Provides Wrong Information)?
Hint: Consider Byzantine generals problem.
Answer: This is Byzantine consensus problem! In quantum information, if:
- Number of malicious observers ( is total number)
- Other observers can verify information consistency (e.g., through Markov property test)
then consensus can still be reached, but requires more complex algorithms (e.g., Byzantine fault-tolerant consensus).
In GLS theory, causal consistency (Čech condition) provides natural verification mechanism!
Question 4: What Is Connection Between Observer Consensus and AdS/CFT?
Hint: Consider multiple “observer regions” of boundary CFT.
Answer: In AdS/CFT:
- Bulk AdS: Global spacetime
- Boundary CFT: Can be divided into multiple subregions (corresponding to different “observers”)
- Entanglement Wedges: Causal horizon of each boundary region
- Consensus: Entanglement structure of subregions must be consistent to reconstruct complete bulk
GLS theory of observer consensus can be seen as observer interpretation of AdS/CFT!
📖 Source Theory References
Content of this article mainly from following source theories:
Core Source Theory
Document: docs/euler-gls-causal/observer-properties-consensus-geometry-causal-network.md
Key Content:
- Nine-tuple formalization of observers
- Čech-type consistency conditions (causal consensus)
- Relative entropy Lyapunov function (state consensus)
- Bayesian update and large deviation (model consensus)
- Communication graph and information propagation
- Spacetime emergence from local to global
Important Theorem (original text):
“Observers reach agreement through three-level consensus (causal, state, model), forming global spacetime structure. Relative entropy Lyapunov function ensures consensus convergence.”
Related Literature
Quantum Network Consensus:
- Olfati-Saber & Murray (2004): Classical consensus algorithms
- Boyd et al. (2006): Distributed optimization
- Quantum generalization: Consensus of quantum states (recent research)
Bayesian Inference:
- Jaynes (1957): Maximum entropy principle
- MacKay (2003): Bayesian machine learning
Byzantine Consensus:
- Lamport et al. (1982): Byzantine generals problem
- Blockchain: Decentralized consensus (Bitcoin, Ethereum)
🎯 Next Steps
We’ve completed core content of Causal Structure chapter! Next article is summary of this chapter, connecting all concepts to form complete picture.
Next Article: 07-causal-summary_en.md - Complete Picture of Causal Structure
There, we will see:
- Review of seven articles on causal structure
- Complete connection of trinity (geometry-time-entropy)
- Relationship with previous chapters (boundary theory, unified time)
- Leading to next chapter (topological constraints)
- Core position of causal structure in GLS theory
Back: Causal Structure Chapter Overview
Previous: 05-markov-property_en.md